Wheel



Dec. 5, 1950 o s 2,533,176

A WHEEL Filed May 8, 1947 J M A? 44 Q, I l K g 20 28 40% l 26 I 0 26 45I A7,. x f 4 24 a; 36 4 42 34 30 INVENTOR D H. OELKERS Patented. Dec. 5,1950 WHEEL Alfred Oelizers, New Braunfels, Tex, assignor to AmericanSteel Fcundries, Ghicago, lit, a

ccrporatien of New 2 Claims.

My invention relates to car wheels and more particularly to a resilientcar wheel particularly suited for use in connection with railway cartrucks.

A specific object of my invention is to devise a resilient car wheel ofsimple construction such as will have the requisite shock-absorbingcharacteristics, have long life in service, and be relatively easy tomount on an axle.

A further object of my invention is to devise a simple resilient hubunit for a railway car wheel which is easily assembled and disassembledwith said car wheel and an associated axle.

Another object of my invention is to devise such a wheel as will resistout-of-plane treads on the wheel.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a resilient wheel,the resiliency characteristics of which will be least impaired by theextreme heat due to braking.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and the drawings, wherein the single figure is afragmentary side elevation of a wheel and axle assembly embodying myinvention, the view being partly in section in a vertical planesubstantially bisecting the wheel transversely.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the invention is illustrated asembodied in a railway car truck wheel and axle assembly adapted forgeneral railway service. The wheel comprises a flanged rim 2 presentinga tread surface at 4, a rigid hub 8 having an internal cylindricalsurface defining an axial center or bore 8 and an integral plate or webI0 interconnecting said rim and rigid hub.

An inturned annular flange I2 is formed at the outboard end of the rigidhub and within the bore 8 in said rigid hub is inserted a tight fittingcylindrical resilient hub unit, generally indicated at M, in abutment atits outboard end with said flange l2, said resilient hub unit beingsleeved over an axle l6 as by a tight press fit and ailording a tightconnection between the wheel and the axle.

The resilient hub I4 comprises a radially outer cylindrical unitincluding a plurality of annular pressed steel discs or plates l8, i8and a radially inner cylindrical unit including a plurality of annularpressed steel discs or plates 20, interleaved with the plates 18 for apurpose hereinafter described.

The outer plates l8, it are provided at their outer peripheries withaxially extending annular flanges 22, 22 spaced outwardly of the outerperimeters or said inner plates and abutting each other and forming anexternal segmental substantially continuous cylindrical surface definingthe outer contour of said hub unit l4 complemental to said bore 8 andaiiording a seat for said hub unit against the internal cylindricalsuriace of said rigid hub.

The flanges 22 are preferably separable to facilitate assembly of theresilient hub in the manne hereinafter described; however, if desired,these flanges may be interconnected to form a cylinder with internalradially projecting annular flanges or discs l8 mentioned above.

The inner plates 28, ill are formed at their inner peripheries withaxially extending annular flanges or collars 2 24 abutting each otherand projecting through central openings 26, 26 in said outer plates,said flanges 24, 24 being inwardly spaced from the radially innerextremities of said outer plates and forming an internal substantiallycontinuous cylindrical surface defining an axial bore through saidresilient hub unit and aiiording means for mounting said unit on saidaxle. The flanges 25 are also preferably separable to facilitate theassembly of the resilient hub; however, if desired, these flanges may beintegrally connected to form a cylinder with external radiallyprojecting annular flanges or discs 20, 20 hereinbefore described.

At the inboard end of the hub unit is an an nular end piece 28 axiallyaligned with said inner plates and axially spaced from the adjacentouter plate and having its outer perimeter ra dially inwardly spacedfrom the flange 22 on the adjacent outer plate. The end piece has a hubportion 39 provided on its inner side with an axially extending annularflange 32 projecting through the opening 26 in the adjacent outer plate,said flange 32 being radially inwardly spaced with respect to the innerextremities of said adjacent outer plate it and abutting against theflange 2d of the adjacent inner plate 20.

The hub portion 39 and the flange 32 are provided with a bore 34 forminga continuation of the axial bore through said hub unit.

The end piece, the inner and outer plates, and the flanges 22 and 24thereof in being spaced as heretofore described, form a continuouszagged cavity, indicated generally at 36, extending from end to end ofsaid hub unit. The cavity is filled with a deformable flowable resilientsubstance 38, such as rubber, which is vulcanized to said plates,flanges and end piece.

As will be readily apparent from the drawing,

the resilient substance 38 in cooperation with 1 said inner and outerunits will yieldably resist any tendency on the part of the wheel totilt and also will accommodate radial movement between said inner andoute units.

Upon radial movement between the inner and outer units of said hub 14,portions 40, 40 of the substance 38 between the plates will be distortedin shear, while, simultaneously, portions 42, 42 of said substancebetween the outer peripheries of the inner plates and the flanges '22,22 and between the inner extremities of the outer plates and flanges 24,24 will be under compression.

Any tilting of the wheel will be resisted principally by compression ofportions 46, 40 of said substance between the outer and inner plates andalso by "distortion in shear of the portions #2, 42 thus precluding thewheel from rotating in such tilted position and developing out-of -planetreads.

twill also be observed that the resilient hub unit is centrally of thewheel remote from the tread surface thereof to which the brakes areapplied. The heat generated during such brake application will beradiated for the most part into the atmosphere by the rim and web of thewheel, thus eliminating the possibility of the heat deteriorating orotherwise destroying the resiliency characteristics of the hub unit H.

In assemblingth'e resilient hub, the end piece and the inner and outerplates are inserted into a suitable mold, the inner and outer platesbeing alternately ar anged and the end piece being placed at theappropriate end of the assembly. An "exc'essivequantity of the resilientsubstance 38 is inserted betu een'the inner and outer discs and betweenthe end piece and adjacent outer disc. The end piece the inner and outerdiscs are then pressed together to'the position shown, the resilientsubstance being vulcanized to the plates and end piece. The plates maybe perforated as at eil'to facilitate flow of the substance before andduring curing of said substance. After curing, the hub unit'is removedfrom the mold and the outer and inner cylindrical surfaces o'fth'e hubunit are ground to size.

To assemble the hub unit'with the'ivheel and the axlejthe hub unit ispress-fitted'into the bore 8 in the wheel andthen'thehub unit asassembled with the wheel is press-fitted on the 'axle'i until it'abuts'a'gainst the'shoulder it formed on said axle.

It is to be understood that I'do not wish to be 'li'mited'by the exactembodiment of the device shown which is merely by wayo'f illustrationand not limitation va' ions and other forms ofth'e device will, ofcourse, be aren't tothose skilled 'inthe art \i "itliout depar from the'spirit'oi 't'he'inventi'on'or the scope of the claims.

I"claini:

1. A railway wheel 'ande ensse'mbly corn; 'ing a wheel, 'havi'ng'a hubwlth'an axial bore, resilient unit press fitted into the bore, an axleextending through'the'c'entero'f theunit in press fit engagementtherewith, saidunitcomprising a plurality of axially "spaced discs "withintegral flanges at their outer peripheries and projecting from one sidethereof, adjacent flanges seating edge to edge and all of said flangestightly engaging said hub, a plurality of plates alternated with saiddiscs, each plate having an axial opening receiving the axle and havingan integral collar at one side thereof extending through an axialaperture in an adjacent disc and tightly embracing the axle, the coll rsof adjacent plates seating edge to edge and being spaced a substantialistance radially inward of the inner peripheries of said discs, eachplate having its outer periphery spaced a substantial distance radiallyinward from the adjacent flange, an imperforate mass of flowableresilient material between the discs and plates and bonded thereto, saidmaterial having portions extending axially between said flanges and theouter peripheries of sai plates and com pletely filling the spacestherebetween, said material having eginents extending through theapertures in said discs and completely filling the spaces between saidcellars the inner peripheries of said discs, and said material havingsections completely filling the spaces between the plates and discs,said discs having axial holes paced a substantial distance from theinner peripheries thereof, said plates having axial holes spaced asubstantial distance radially inward from the outer peripheries thereofand disposed radially outward of the holes in said discs, said materialat said portion; being wholly confined by and between adjacent portionsof said flanges, discs and plates and at said segments being Whollyconfined by and between adjacent portions or said collars wherecy duringrelative radial movement between said plates and discs said segments andportions of said material are stressed in compression and cause thematerial to flow substantial distances radially between the plates anddiscs, before iiowing into the holes, the flange of each discoverlapping the adjacent plate and the collar of the latter extendingthrough the aperture in the former whereby the loads on all of the partsof each disc and respective parts or" the adjacent plate is substantially equalized.

2. A railway wheel and axle assembly comprising a Wheel with an axialbore, a resilient unit ,press fitted therein, an axle extending tightlythrough the center of said unit, said unit com- .prising a plurality ofaxially spaced radial discs in tight engagement at their outerperipheries with the wheel within the bore, a plurality of radial platessleeved over the axle in tight engage- -ment therewith, each disc havingan axially extending portion at its outer perimeter spaced radiallyoutward from the outer perimeter of an adjacent plate and in radiallyoverlapping relaticnship therewith, ate havingan integral .portion atits inner perimeter spaced radially'inwardiy of the inner perimeter oi.he adjacent disc and in radially overlapping relationship therewith,theporon of each disc being arranged-in partialradial alignment with apart of said portion ofan adjaoentplate, an imperforate mass offlowabl'e resilient material between said-plates anddiscs-a-nd bondedthereto, said material acting -'a column between said ax-ially extendingportions of-each-plate and adjacent disc for compression therebetween,said material being wholly confined between the-discs and plates andbearing directly against the full surfaces thereof, said discs-having asingle annular series of axial openings -th'erethrough adjacent theirinner periph- "eries and said plates having a singular annular ALFRED H.OELKERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Patch Sept. 10, 1935Wittmer Apr. 4, 1936 Jones Aug. 22, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country DateGreat Britain May 11, 1938

